Full faced steel vehicle wheel and method of manufacture

Abstract

A full faced vehicle wheel manufactured by stamping a steel disc, embossing a plurality of vent holes in the disc and rolling a partial steel rim. The partial steel rim has an outer beadseat with an outer edge, the outer beadseat at its inner surface rolled at a predetermined angle and to a predetermined inner diameter at its edge. The full faced disc has an outer flange with an inner surface smoothly flowing into a radius which smoothly flows into a circumferential beadseat area extending inwardly at a corresponding matching angle to the aforesaid predetermined angle. The vent holes are embossed to extend the beadseat area inwardly at the same matching angle at the outer periphery of the vent holes, to form inwardly extending, intermittent supporting and guiding areas only at the vent holes. The outer surface edge of each intermittent area has an outer diameter slightly less than the aforesaid predetermined inner diameter of the rim edge. The rim is assembled onto the disc by guiding the inner surface of the rim outer beadseat over the intermittent areas and then over the beadseat area of the disc up to the radius. A weld is applied. The radius centers and provides a 360° fit up of rim and disc.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A full faced steel wheel having a roll-formed steel rim and a stamped full faced steel disc, said disc having a plurality of embossed vent holes; said steel rim having an inner flange, an inner beadseat, a central section and an outer beadseat having an outer edge, the inner surface of the outer beadseat extending upwardly and outwardly at a predetermined angle to terminate in a predetermined inner diameter at its outer edge; said full faced steel disc having an outer flange with an inner surface extending radially inward, a radius at the bottom of the outer flange inner surface and a supporting circumferential beadseat area extending smoothly away from the radius and inwardly at a corresponding matching angle to the predetermined angle of the inner surface of the outer beadseat; intermittent supporting and guiding areas at the outer peripheries of each vent hole forming inwardly extending continuations of the supporting beadseat area at the same corresponding matching angle, further characterized by a lack of said intermittent areas between the vent holes; the inner surface of said rim outer beadseat overlying and contacting said intermittent areas and said beadseat area of the disc; and, a welded joint between the rim and disc at the outer end of the rim outer beadseat. 
     
     
       2. The invention of claim  1 , wherein the predetermined and matching angles are five degrees to the horizontal. 
     
     
       3. The invention of claim  1 , wherein the outer edge of the rim outer beadseat is curled up into the radius at the bottom of the outer flange inner surface. 
     
     
       4. A full faced steel wheel having a roll-formed steel rim and a stamped full faced steel disc, said disc having a plurality of embossed vent holes; said steel rim having an inner flange, an inner beadseat, a central section and an outer beadseat having an outer edge, the inner surface of the outer beadseat extending upwardly and outwardly at a predetermined angle to terminate in a predetermined inner diameter adjacent to its outer edge and having a predetermined radius at the outer beadseat outer edge; said full faced steel disc having an outer flange with an inner surface extending radially inward and a radius essentially the same as the predetermined radius at the bottom of the outer flange inner surface; said full faced disc having intermittent supporting and guiding areas at the outer peripheries of each vent hole smoothly extending from the radius at the bottom of the outer flange inner surface and extending inwardly at the same predetermined angle, further characterized by a lack of said intermittent areas between the vent holes; the inner surface of said rim outer beadseat overlying and contacting said intermittent areas of the disc; said radius at the outer beadseat outer edge nestled within and up against the radius at the bottom of the outer flange inner surface; and, a welded joint between the rim and disc at the outer end of the rim outer beadseat. 
     
     
       5. The invention of claim  4 , wherein the predetermined and matching angles are five degrees to the horizontal.